The outdoor industry lost a dedicated friend on January 31, 2017. TJ Stallings was a friend to many and he will be so sorely missed. I had the opportunity in 2016 to nominate him for one of the Florida Outdoor Writers prestigious awards, The Hardy Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award, created in 1994, requires recipients to be a past or present member of FOWA and have performed outstanding service to the outdoor field. No one I know fits that criteria more than TJ Stallings. FOWA was honored to bestow the award on TJ at the 2016 annual meeting.
I am reprinting that nomination today in memoriam to TJ so others can know a few more of his many accomplishment. RIP my friend. I am sure you are already promoting some “crazy ideas” among the angels.
NOMINEE: T. J. Stallings
THE HARDY BRYAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD CRITERIA: Recipients must be a past or present member of FOWA and have performed outstanding service to the outdoor field.
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T. J. Stallings is a doer! Whether business responsibilities or volunteer opportunities T.J approaches them with an attitude of completion and accomplishment. Fortunately for FOWA his long history of business and philanthropic contributions has been directed at the outdoors. It is because of his can-do attitude and his long service to FOWA, other outdoor communicator groups, and the outdoor field in general that I nominate him for The Hardy Bryan Lifetime Achievement Award.
Because of his long service as FOWA’s Corporate Director/Liaison, he is known to many FOWA members, regular, tourism and corporate. His supervision of our breakout sessions, now known as Corporate Showcase, is well documented. T.J. understands all three sides of the membership triangle and has worked tirelessly to unite and support them in our common mission.
Through his association with TTI Blakemore, T.J. has brought numerous resources to the benefit of FOWA and other outdoors groups. Those contributions include his valuable time, physical product for auctions, and industry contacts that contributed to both membership growth and auction items. His efforts demonstrate a true passion for helping promote the outdoor field in any way he can.
T.J. has many friends in the outdoor industry, but few know him better than his brother Ron Stallings. “T.J. talks highly of FOWA,” said Ron. “He really focuses hard on the annual meeting. His level of excitement during the prep time is contagious.”
“T.J. has always been a giant promoter of FOWA,” continued Ron. “He talks of the organization and its members regularly. During the five or six months that we are designing new products, he is constantly concerned with the amount of samples he can have for FOWA, TOWA and SEOPA. He wants the members to have all of the new innovative products and pushes hard for his share without detracting from the customer orders (Actually he does get greedy and sneak products for the writers)”.
“T.J. performs his duties in an outstanding manner. His dedication to his work is that for which others should follow. Any recognition for his efforts will be taken humbly and his thanks will most likely go to our parents, the industry partners and God,” concluded Ron.
T.J. is a humble man and will not likely be thrilled by this nomination, but he has a history that deserves it. His service is not over. He never hesitates to mention FOWA membership to those he meets in other organizations like SEOPA, TOWA and POMA. I am quite sure that our auction tables at this year’s conference will show evidenced of T.J.’s generosity.
His love for the outdoors dates back to his childhood days. He was born and raised in Florida. He grew up fishing in Florida. He worked in his dad’s tackle shop in Orlando where he developed his knowledge and skills that landed him squarely in the middle of the outdoor industry. His abilities to think things out and his creativity are almost legend for those lucky enough to work with him, be mentored by him, and receive his counsel. FOWA is lucky to call him one of our own.
T. J. Stallings is a strong and integral part of FOWA and the outdoor industry. He is a perfect candidate for this award. He demonstrates by his actions and his words that he fulfills the requirements of The Hardy Bryan Lifetime Achievement Award. I am very pleased to nominate him.
Ron Presley, June 2016
